535-Week 2

Twitterworld...
This week I have done something I thought I would never do, not even if someone paid me. Now, I've not only signed up for a Twitter account, but I paid for it (tuition)!!! Although I have done some playing around with Twitter, I must say that I have not yet recognized this tool as having a significant value in my life. Professionally, I barely have enough time to keep up with a normal day. I understand that the Twitter appeal includes a timely service, especially beneficial to those whose time is limited, for supplying communication connections in your area of interest. However, it seems like just another thing to check or keep up with. I am hoping that my viewpoint will change as I use it during the next few weeks. I am certainly open to it if it will improve my ability to teach children.

Wiki Revolution...
The thought of the masses contributing to create more accurate information makes me cringe. I am definitely one of the teachers the chapter talked about who has a difficult time accepting that Wikipedia is a legitimate vehicle for research. Who's truth is it anyway? Then I thought about it. Is it any different than the "truth" we read from any author? We should be teaching our children to think critically about all information, so why should Wikipedia be exempt? Again, like internet safety, this is a great opportunity to teach our children how to navigate in this new world, not discourage them from it.

535-Week 1

I really enjoyed the readings from our text for this week. There is much controversy surrounding the use of weblogs for educational purposes. As I read about the importance of staying relevant in the classroom through technology and the resistance from schools to embrace this I felt a tad discouraged. I understand, and share, the fears that people have with the malicious abuse of these applications. Actually, until this week, these fears kept me from allowing my son to explore the use of his own blog. He and some friends have been trying to get together to establish one for the past year, but my husband and I wouldn't allow it. As my understanding of the paradigm shift that has taken place between our youth and technology grows, I see how I have been holding him back. He has a brilliant little mind and he wants to share it! Who am I to discourage this? Anyway, I am excited to introduce blogging to my students. I agree that we may not be able to protect our children from the abusers of the internet, but we can't solve that problem by trying to keep them locked away from the world. We are going to have to model and use the technology with them to show them the appropriate and most effective ways to use it. I teach my children how to deal with strangers and emergencies. The fact is that we are at a place where we are going to have to add internet safety and responsibility, too.